Planning a Healthy Diet
Chapter 2
Whitney & Rolfes – Understanding Nutrition, 12th Edition
Principles and Guidelines
 Adequacy
 Sufficient energy
 Adequate nutrients for healthy people
 Balance
 Enough but not too much
 kCalorie (energy) control
 Energy in = energy out
 High nutrient density foods
Whitney & Rolfes – Understanding Nutrition, 12th Edition
Principles and Guidelines
 Nutrient density
 The most nutrients for the fewest calories
 Low-nutrient density foods
 Moderation
 Food selections – low in fat & added sugars
 Variety
 Among and within food groups
 Benefits of a varied diet
Whitney & Rolfes – Understanding Nutrition, 12th Edition
Principles and Guidelines
 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
 Science-based advice
 Promote health and reduce chronic diseases
 Nine areas of recommendation, covering
 Diet
 Physical activity
Whitney & Rolfes – Understanding Nutrition, 12th Edition
Diet-Planning Guides
 Need tools and knowledge to plan an ideal
diet
 USDA Food Guide
 Five major food groups
 Recommended daily amounts for each group
 Notable nutrients
 Serving equivalents
 Nutrient density
Whitney & Rolfes – Understanding Nutrition, 12th Edition
Diet-Planning Guides
Whitney & Rolfes – Understanding Nutrition, 12th Edition
Diet-Planning Guides
Whitney & Rolfes – Understanding Nutrition, 12th Edition
Diet-Planning Guides
 USDA Food Guide
 Notable nutrients
 Key nutrients of each food group
 Allows for flexibility in diet plan
 Greater encouragement of some food groups
 Discretionary kcalorie allowance
 Difference between kcalories supplied and
those needed
 Added sugars and fats
Whitney & Rolfes – Understanding Nutrition, 12th Edition
Diet-Planning Guides
 USDA Food Guide
 Serving equivalents
 Fruits, vegetables, milk = cups
 Grains and meats = ounces
 Mixtures of foods
 Vegetarians
 Can still use USDA Food Guide
 Ethnic food choices
Whitney & Rolfes – Understanding Nutrition, 12th Edition
Diet-Planning Guides
 USDA Food Guide
 MyPyramid – http://www.mypyramid.gov
 Educational tool
 Combines USDA Food Guide and Dietary
Guidelines
 Allows for personal planning
 Pyramid shortcomings
 Healthy Eating Index
Whitney & Rolfes – Understanding Nutrition, 12th Edition
MyPyramid: Steps to a
Healthier You
Whitney & Rolfes – Understanding Nutrition, 12th Edition
MyPyramid: Steps to a
Healthier You
Whitney & Rolfes – Understanding Nutrition, 12th Edition
Diet-Planning Guides
 Exchange lists
 Help in achieving kcalorie control and
moderation
 Sorting of foods
 Energy-nutrient contents
 Examples
Whitney & Rolfes – Understanding Nutrition, 12th Edition
Diet-Planning Guides
 Putting the plan into action
 Familiarize yourself with each food group
 Grocery shopping
 Consider foods you enjoy
 Make improvements little by little
 Processed foods
 Disadvantages
 Advantages
Whitney & Rolfes – Understanding Nutrition, 12th Edition
Diet-Planning Guides –
Grocery Shopping
 Grains
 Whole-grain
products
 Fortification &
enrichment
 Vegetables
 Fresh vs. canned or
frozen
 Milk
Whitney & Rolfes – Understanding Nutrition, 12th Edition
 Fruits
 Colors
 Fruit juices
 Meat, fish, & poultry
 Lean cuts
 Portion sizes
 Cooking techniques
Diet-Planning Guides
Whitney & Rolfes – Understanding Nutrition, 12th Edition
Diet-Planning Guides
Whitney & Rolfes – Understanding Nutrition, 12th Edition
Food Labels
 Reasons for food label use
 Product not required to have food labels
 Voluntary use of labels
 Restaurant food labeling
 Portion sizes
Whitney & Rolfes – Understanding Nutrition, 12th Edition
Food Labels
Whitney & Rolfes – Understanding Nutrition, 12th Edition
Food Labels
 Ingredient list
 Listing of all ingredients
 Descending order of predominance by
weight
 Serving sizes
 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) role
 Adjust calculations according to amount
consumed
 Sizes listed vs. USDA Food Guide sizes
Whitney & Rolfes – Understanding Nutrition, 12th Edition
Food Labels
 Nutrition Facts
 Quantities and Daily Values
 Required information
 Total food energy; food energy from fat
 Total fat; saturated fat; trans fat; cholesterol
 Sodium
 Total carbohydrate; dietary fiber; sugars
 Protein
 Vitamins A & C; iron; calcium
Whitney & Rolfes – Understanding Nutrition, 12th Edition
Food Labels
 Daily Values
 Expressed as percentage
 Relationship to health
 “Ballpark” estimate of contribution to total
diet
 Based on 2000 kcalories per day
 Nutrient claims
 Meet FDA definitions
Whitney & Rolfes – Understanding Nutrition, 12th Edition
Food Labels
 Health claims
 Need for scientific evidence
 FDA report card
 Structure-function claims
 Made without FDA approval
 Consumer education
 Coordination of USDA Food Guide, Dietary
Guidelines, and food labels
Whitney & Rolfes – Understanding Nutrition, 12th Edition
Food Labels
Whitney & Rolfes – Understanding Nutrition, 12th Edition
Highlight 2
Vegetarian Diets
Whitney & Rolfes – Understanding Nutrition, 12th Edition
Vegetarian Diets
 Dietary choices fall along a continuum
 No foods of animal origin to few restrictions
 Part-time vegetarians or flexitarians
 Motivations for choosing vegetarian diets
 Vegetarian classifications
 Foods excluded from diet
Whitney & Rolfes – Understanding Nutrition, 12th Edition
Health Benefits of Vegetarian
Diets
 Vegetarian lifestyle factors
 Tobacco, drugs, alcohol, physical activity
 Limitations of research
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Weight control
Blood pressure
Heart disease
Cancer
Other diseases
Whitney & Rolfes – Understanding Nutrition, 12th Edition
Vegetarian Diet Planning
 Task
 Use variety of foods within an energy
allowance that maintains a healthy body
weight
 MyPyramid
 Vegetarian food pyramid
 Vegetarian food guides
 Help ensure adequate intakes of key
nutrients
Whitney & Rolfes – Understanding Nutrition, 12th Edition
Vegetarian Diet Planning
 Protein
 Sources
 Requirements
 Iron
 RDA is higher
 Absorption
 Zinc
Whitney & Rolfes – Understanding Nutrition, 12th Edition
 Calcium
 Food choices
 Vitamin B12
 Only in animalderived foods
 Vitamin D
 Omega-3 fatty acids
Healthy Food Choices
 Vegetarian diets
 Lower risk of mortality from several chronic
diseases
 Nutritionally sound choices
 Variety is key to nutritional adequacy
 Macrobiotic diet
 Way of life, not just a meal plan
Whitney & Rolfes – Understanding Nutrition, 12th Edition